Eternally Lost?
by unzulaenglichkeit
Summary: Alice and Ryo have come to the 02 world to find a way to bring Dobermon back. Yamato and Hikari are searching for a friend as well. What awaits them?
1. Prologue

Don' t you think it' s getting kind of boring to read the same type of stories all the time? A fluffy Takari here, an angsty Kensuke there. Don' t get me wrong I've nothing against those fics but I want some change! I like rare pairings like Yakari and unique ideas. 

So if you are wondering that' s where this story comes from. 

The story centers on an often forgotten character from Tamers. Furthermore it's a 02/03 crossover and I'm going to do a new kind of pairing (at least it hasn't been done before as far as I know). 

I' m not going to tell you more now. I would only spoil the whole story. So read to find out more. 

I had to change the age of the 03-characters a little: 

Ryo and Alice are 15, the rest is 14. 

The 02-characters:

Taichi, Yamato, … are 17. I think you get the rest from here.

Eternally Lost? 

Had it really only been three months ago? It was indeed interesting to watch how quickly everybody had recovered and gone back to their daily routine. Was it really such a common thing to have strange, gigantic creatures rampaging a whole city, which was then nearly swallowed up by a mysterious pink gooey mass? Or maybe it was just the other way round? Were these things just too ethereal to be taken serious afterwards? The politicians had been talking about taking precautions for the future, about quick reconstruction and supporting the victims and their families but had soon gone back to their normal every day's problems like financial debates and so on. 

Reconstruction was proceeding swiftly indeed and most of the people seemed to have gotten over the first shock quiet well. But those who had lost things more precious to them than just their money, cars or other things like that were still trying to come to terms with their lives and Alice McCoy was one of them. 

She was silently watching the reconstruction of a certain bridge in West-Shinjuku. The roaring noise form the construction machines and the near traffic was hurting her ears but she didn't pay much attention to the sounds around her anyway. Masses of busy people were streaming around her as she stood there on the sidewalk deep in thoughts and looking a little out of place. Her black dress was heating up in the bright afternoon sun yet she felt cold as her pale blue eyes kept staring at the now almost finished bridge. She had lost a friend when the bridge was originally destroyed. Now it was built up again and life was going back to normal only her friend would never return. 

The sun was still burning down on her but it' s always cold when you are lonely and she hadn't felt warm in years. Not since that horrible day … But she didn't want to think about them, not now. It would only make things worse than they already were and it wouldn't change a thing anyway. 

For a short time she had been happy again even if it had only been for some days. But she had finally found someone who she could talk to and who wouldn't only listen to her but who would maybe really understand her. She had found a friend and partner in Dobermon and it didn't matter to her that she didn't have a D-arc. She didn't need one anyway. Even without she felt close to the digimon. To others he may have been frightening like a beast straight from hell but that didn't matter either. She knew better than to judge people or in this case a digimon by its looks only. What really mattered to her was nothing you could see on the outside. She was in search for friendship and that she had found in her meeting with Dobermon. 

But Dobermon was gone. Dutifully fulfilling his purpose. He had been nothing more than a vessel to those who had created him. A vessel to carry their power to those who fought for their cause. In their minds there was no need for him anymore after his task was completed. After all he was just a messenger to them, nothing more. Had they known before what he would have to face in the human world or whom he would meet? Probably not, but she couldn't be sure. Either they had known and didn't care about the lives of two single beings when whole worlds were threatened to be destroyed or they simply hadn't expected things to end this way. 

But whatever really was the case it didn't matter anymore. Dobermon was gone and she was alone again but now with the additional burden of having seen her only friend vanishing in tiny pieces of data before her eyes. 

She knew that the Tamers had been separated from their digimon as well and she could understand how they must have been feeling at that time but she had also been told that they got them back soon afterwards. They were lucky, she was not. Plain and simple. 

Of course she knew how much some of them had had to endure. Dolphin, her grandfather, had told her the whole story. But still she felt betrayed by fait. Hadn't she gone through, at least, the same amount of hurt and pain without ever being to the Digi-World? She had lost more than any of them already and still it didn't stop. It really wasn't fair but then life was hardly ever fair. Survival of the strongest that' s what it' s all about. But hadn't she already proven to be strong? What else was life going to throw at her? After all she was just a normal girl. 

Well, maybe her life wasn't so normal any more but it had been once and she stubbornly refused to give up her hope. She was only fifteen but she had already been forced to learn how cruel life could be. She didn't' t expect much anymore but still she clung to her hopes and dreams. After all it was all she still had and if she gave up on them as well there wouldn't be anything left to live for anymore. 

But she was still alive and fighting. If the Tamers managed to get their digimon back then there would have to be a way for her to see Dobermon again too. She just had to find it. But where should she begin? Maybe she should ask the Tamers for help? They probably knew something that neither she nor her grandfather knew. But would they help her? She honestly doubted it. After all they hadn't even tried to talk to her after she had lost Dobermon, let alone thanked her. So why should they help her now? Out of pity for her? No, she certainly didn't want their help if they only felt sorry for her. She was strong enough to handle her life alone and pity was the last thing she wanted from others. If they wanted to honestly help her and not because they saw it as their duty then she would accept their help but if that wasn't the case she would have to find a way of bringing Dobermon back alone. 

But first of all she had to get some more information about the Digi-World and therefore she needed to find one of the tamers. 

* * *

I know it' s a little short and I might not be able to update anywhere soon but I promise I'll continue if at least one person tells me to. But that might take some time, maybe even two months, sorry but exams are approaching fast and my life depends on them. But I'll try to get out more soon. 

R&R, please! 


	2. A New Journey

A New Journey 

The sky outside was steel blue. Only a few puffy white clouds were visible and the sun was still high spreading her warmth over the earth. It was really a shame to be stuck inside on such a wonderful day. 

Ryo sighed but eventually turned his attention form the world outside his window back to his homework. Math. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn't imagine anything being as boring as those endless lines and columns of numbers. Honestly, he would never be able to understand why people would waste their time with this stuff and even enjoy it. 

But that didn't matter. There was no use complaining about it and he knew that. After spending almost a whole year in the Digi-world he had missed a lot at school and now he had much work to get done. 

But he couldn't help it. He wasn't a person who stayed inside all day brooding over some old, dusty books. No, he had to get out there and explore the world himself. Of course, you could find almost everything in books but that's not what he was looking for. He had to see things with his own eyes. When he'll be old there would still be enough time to read but would he also be in the condition to go out there and to discover the world? Yes, perhaps he was a dreamer, so what? Was there a rule that you have to forget about your dreams when you grow up? Well, if there actually was one he didn't care. He had to get out! That's what he really wanted and nobody would stop him! 

His parents wouldn't be too happy but he was old enough to make some decisions on his own and to deal with the consequences whatever they might be. 

He jumped to his feet knocking the chair he had been sitting on over and turned to his bed. Waiting for a few seconds he just watched the small purple creature on it happily bouncing up and down. A small sad smile formed on his lips. Sometimes he wished for his digimon partner to be always like that. It would make life so much easier. 

But also so much more boring the voice in the back of his head reminded him. He knew it and he had to admit it, he would miss his current life and all the things he had seen and everything that still was to come. All those possibilities were definitely worth a few troubles. And most importantly Monodramon was not only his partner but also his friend. One of the few he had. But that was the price he had to pay for this life. He never really stayed long enough in one place to make friends. He had to accept that if he wanted to live his dreams. Nothing was really perfect but he could still try to make the best of it and that he would do. 

"MonoDramon, we're going out ", he informed the small dragon digimon. 

"Where are we going? Are the others going to come with us? Are we going back to the Digi-world?" 

Ryo couldn't help but smiling at the nosey little digimon. It was really hard to believe that this little thing could turn into the merciless warrior, which CyberDramon was. 

"I don't know where we are going. We'll know it when we are there. And I don't think that the others would want to come along. They are back in their normal lives and I think it wouldn't be wise to ask them. We should give them some time. Maybe they will come after us when they are ready." 

"I hope they will! I miss Guilmon and the others. They are so much fun to play with and Guilmon's human always brings that bread I like so much!" Monodramon exclaimed. 

Ryo thought about leaving a letter for his parents as they left the house but decided against it. What should he write anyway? He had no idea where he was going or when he would be back and only telling them that he was out would be pretty stupid. That was plain obvious anyway. 

* * * 

His jacket tied around his waist and MonoDramon marching beside him Ryo entered the park in West Shinjuku. Many people were enjoying the quietness of the small park and only a few glanced curiously at the young boy and the small purple dragon at his side. It was like a small peaceful world of it's own between all those skyscrapers and the noisy streets. It was late afternoon but the sun was not even half way down and the air was dry and warm but he had still taken is jacket with him. You could never know what was going to happen around the next corner. He had learned that during his traveling around. 

Concentrating on the singing birds and the children's bright voices from the near playground he closed his eyes for a few moments while he kept walking. Yes, he was slowly becoming an adult but part of him was still a child and he wanted to keep that part as long as possible. 

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he bumped into something. He opened his eyes while rubbing his sore forehead with his hand. A girl about his age was sitting on the path at his feet. She had light blonde hair, which was pulled into two pigtails, and she wore a black dress and long black stockings. When she looked up at him he immediately noticed her eyes. They were bright blue. Very much like the sky overhead but still they seemed to be empty and utterly sad. She looked a little familiar but he had no idea if or where he could have met her before so shrugged the thought of and decided to help her up. 

"I'm sorry, I wasn't watching were I was going. It's my fault," he tried to explain while offering her is hand. 

"It's ok. I wasn't watching either," she answered while getting to her feet and totally ignoring the boy's hand. 

The girls voice was soft and barely above a whisper. Ryo had to concentrate fully on her if he didn't want to miss something. 

She was on her feet again and Ryo noticed how she was staring at MonoDramon. Maybe she hadn't seen a real digimon before. But whatever it was he felt that he should at least try to explain it to her. 

"You are a Tamer." 

Ryo was cut off by her simple statement before he could even get started. He was a little surprised that she knew about the Tamers but didn't give it a second thought. At least he wouldn't have to explain the whole thing to her. 

"That's right. My name's Ryo and that's my digimon MonoDramon." 

"Hi! I'm MonoDramon! What's your name?" the little dragon called out. He watched her with big eyes before he went on. 

"You look strange. Do you have a digimon partner too?" 

At the last question the girls expression darkened. Ryo noticed that and decided it was time to stop his little friend. 

"I'm sorry, if he said something wrong. He's just so nosy and doesn't know when he has to stop." 

Her eyes were still fixed on MonoDramon when she answered in the same soft voice: 

"It's ok. Now to you: Alice, I know and No." 

The digimon looked at her quizzically then at his Tamer and back at her again. 

Ryo chuckled a little but began to explain it to his clueless friend: 

"Your answers. You asked her some questions and she answered them." 

The boy turned back to her only to find her watching him carefully. It seemed like she was debating something with herself but he never got the chance to give it more thought because she began to speak again: 

"I would like to ask you some questions. About the Digi-world. You have been there, I suppose." 

He nodded silently. 

"Then, will you help me?" 

"That depends on what you are asking from me. I would like to know a little more about you and why you are interested in the Digi-world before I give you an answer." 

Alice hesitated a moment but finally nodded her head in agreement. 

"I guess I can tell you some things but you'll have to answer my questions as well even if you don't like them." He flashed her a grin but was only met by her calm face and her sad blue eyes. 

He decided it would be best to get to know her a little better before deciding what he was going to do. She didn't look like she wanted to do any harm she only seemed to be entirely lost. But then again Ken had also been a kind and innocent child and as far as he knew he seemed to have turned out to be a bigger threat than most evil digimon could ever be. But Ken was out of his reach now and it didn't help worrying about things he had no influence on. Yet, he still felt sorry for him. 

But other important things had to be taken care of now and he had to make sure that this girl didn't bring new dangers upon both worlds. 

"Let's sit down on the bench over there. I think we have a few things to talk about." 

Without waiting for her reply he began walking towards a green metal bench close to the playground. 

* * * 

Ryo was the first one to ask a question after they had been sitting for a while without talking: 

"Okay. You first. Why do want me to tell you about the Digi-world?" 

Alice kept her eyes on the children on the playground like she had been doing since they had reached the bench while answering: 

"I want to go there. I'm searching for a lost friend." 

Again Ryo felt like he should know her but at the same time he was sure that they had never met before. After seeing how she had reacted to MonoDramon's questions he was sure she wouldn't like the next one but he continued anyway: 

"You are searching for a digimon, right? Was it your partner?" 

As he had expected her face darkened but she managed to keep her voice at the same soft and even level as before: 

"Don't get me wrong but it really doesn't concern you whom I'm searching for." 

He didn't agree with her on that point but he would let it pass for now. Obviously she wasn't ready to tell him more and he knew better than to press on. 

"Well, that's good enough for me. You are lucky. I'm in the mood for some traveling today. Let's go." 

He jumped to his feet and grinned expectantly at her. 

At first she only stared at him unbelievingly but then she got up too. 

"Very well. I thought you would just tell me the things I need to know but I take what I can get. I'm ready, show me the way." 

"Just follow me." 

So they took off towards the cave where Guilmon had been hiding and towards the gateway to the Digi-world. 

* * * 

I still haven't got much time but I was in writing mood today! I'm going to finish this fic no matter what. But again I can't tell when I'll be able to update again. Sorry! 

Obviously I left some questions unanswered. Let's see what I can do for you guys: 

@Shiroi Taiyou: Doesn't change anything at all. Some years have passed and they are only a little older. The age difference between the Digidestined (e.g. Tai 17, Kari 14) stays the same. 

@Happy Hobbes EclipseS: Yeah, I know that. I see it that way (at least in this story): Let's pretend she knows about Leomon (her Grandfather told her). Life hasn't been easy on Alice (there will be more about her and her past in the next chapters, I think) and in her opinion nobody could ever understand how much she suffers (just like most depressed people ^__^) so in her eyes fate is much harder on her than on Juri. 

Should there be more questions tell me. I'll try my best to answer them. (Maybe in the next chapter, or in a review or later in the story. It depends.) 

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I hope you'll do it again.  

So R&R!!!


	3. Questions and Answers

Questions and answers 

Pale blue eyes fluttered open, quickly adjusting to the darkness around them, and started to look frantically for something familiar but found nothing. Just the same dark sky overhead like every night since they had come to this strange world six days ago. 

Alice noticed that her clothes were drenched with sweat. Again. But it didn't really surprise her anymore. She almost expected this to happen. Really, it was by far more surprising and extraordinary when it didn't happen. It was always the same procedure after all. 

She would fall asleep, the nightmares would come and eventually she would wake up alone, afraid, and sweating all over. It had been like this for years now and she had gotten used to it as time passed. But that didn't mean that she enjoyed it. She just had accepted the fact that she could never forget her past and therefore she would never be able to escape those dreams, which plagued her almost every night. 

Her grandfather had wanted her to talk to a psychologist about it but she had refused saying that it was her problem and that she would solve it on her own. Her grandfather was not too happy with her decision but knowing how stubborn she could be at times he gave up trying to convince her. 

Alice was glad he didn't force her. She had to admit that she could need some help but she would never agree on seeing a doctor for that reason. She wasn't sick, neither mentally nor physically, and more importantly it was way too private than she would talk to a complete stranger about it. Maybe a friend would be better but friends were one of the things she didn't have anymore. Not since the accident and her coming to Japan to live with her grandfather. So she was on her own with her nightmares. She had told herself time and times again that she had to let them go but she still missed her parents terribly. 

Thinking about them she could feel the tears gathering in her eyes and blurring her vision but she did nothing to hide them. What did it matter if Ryo saw them? Let him see. Surely he had noticed her nightmares already. How could he not have? But he hadn't asked her about them so why should he care now? It didn't really matter, did it? Nothing did anymore. After all he was just her guide, nothing more. Only one more stranger in her life. 

So she curled up in a ball, closing her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, knowing fully well that her nightmares would welcome her back soon enough. 

Ryo was lying a few meters away with MonoDramon curled up at his feet and his back facing her. He couldn't see the blonde girl but he still could hear her sobbing quietly. But he never turned around to face her and therefore she never saw the deep thoughtful frown on his face. 

* * * 

Most of their journey had been rather uneventful. They had encountered a few digimon on their way but most of them were peacefully minding their own business. Only a few had been foolish enough to mistake the two humans and the small digimon for easy pray and had paid dearly for their misjudgment. None of them was a match for CyberDramon power and aggression. 

Not much had been said between the two humans since they had entered the Digi-world so MonoDramon saw it as his duty to entertain the small group. He kept babbling on about everything that came to his mind not even once looking if any of his two travel companions was actually listening. It didn't really matter to him anyway since he was mostly doing it to get some distraction for himself into that boring journey. 

In fact Ryo and Alice hardly paid attention to the small digimon's rambling. Both of them had too many thoughts going through their own heads at the moment. Ryo wanted to get some more information out of the silent girl but he knew that pushing her would probably make it only worse. He couldn't help but wonder what she was hiding from him. Every time he looked at her, which he did rather often, she seemed to be deep in thoughts, almost forgetting the world around her. After their arrival in the Digi-world she had immediately asked him if he knew where they could find the Sovereigns of the Digi-world. Truthfully he had told her that he could probably bring her to them. He thought he had seen her smiling a little for a moment but he wasn't quiet sure anymore. After that she had offered no further explanation for her interest in the four Mega-level digimon. She had only asked him to lead her to them to which he had agreed. He was pretty sure she did mean no harm to the Digi-world but still there was something about her which made him nervous and it was not her appearance alone, of that he was sure now. 

Again he glanced at the girl walking silently next to him like he had done so often since the beginning of their little tour through the Digi-world but this time she startled him by turning her head in his direction for the first time. She just looked at him for a moment with her piercing pale blue eyes before she spoke: 

"Just ask me, ok?" 

Ryo was at a loss of words for a few seconds but quickly regained his composure. He smiled a little when he began: 

"You told me that you are looking for a lost friend and that you want me to take you to the four Sovereigns of the Digi-world. I understand that this is probably something very personal to you but you also have to accept that I've got some questions about this whole thing and that I would appreciate to get some answers soon. You have given me no further reason to why you want to see them and I know nothing about your intentions and I'm certainly not going to force you to tell me anything but I hope you will give me some clues to why we are here." 

If the young blonde was impressed by his little speech she knew to hide it perfectly. She only regarded him thoughtfully a few more moments before she answered: 

"I still think that you don't need to know why I want to see them but it's understandable that you want some answers." 

Again she paused for a moment, looking up at the digital sky. Ryo had no idea what might be going on inside her head at that moment but he still hoped to get some more details about this whole thing out of her this time. Slowly she turned back to him, locking her eyes with his. 

"Your guess was correct when you asked me at the park if my lost friend was a digimon. You were not present when I met the other Tamers but I guess they have told you about me or at least about Dobermon. 

Dobermon is the one I'm looking for. He was sent to our world by the Sovereigns as a vessel, a messenger. He was the one who brought you the power you needed to be able to reach the mega level in our world and doing so he gave his life. 

I am here now to reclaim him." 

"Well, that answers quiet a lot of questions but it also brings up some new ones. For example why do you think the Sovereigns will grant you this wish? You are not Dobermons tamer, are you?" 

"I really think this doesn't concern you but to answer you question, I'm not Dobermons tamer and I don't have a D-arc but I honestly don't care. After all that's my problem and you shouldn't worry about that. Just bring me to them, I'm not going to ask for anything else." 

That said Alice began walking again, making it clear that this conversation was over. Ryo was far from satisfied with this answer but he was somewhat relieved by what she had told him. As far as he knew the girl had far more problems to deal with than she wanted to admit but she was at least no significant threat to the Digi-world right now which had been his main concern. 

He had already seen what a single human being could do to a whole world and obviously it didn't matter how kind the person may have once been. He had failed to protect his friend and the Digi-world once but he was not going to let such a thing happen again. 

They may not be friends but he still felt somewhat responsible for Alice and he would be looking after her no matter what. He would walk a part of her way with her and support her as good as possible. She could every kind of help she could get, that was for sure. As he watched the pale girl with the blonde hair and the black dress, who seemed to be so completely out of place in this bright world, slowly walking away he had made his decision. 

"Hey, wait for me", he cried after her before he started running to catch up with her. 

* * *

Well, you guy seem pretty sure that this is going to be an Alice/Ryo story. I'm not going to say yes but I'm not going to say no either. I've already decided who is going to get Alice in the end but I'm not going to tell yet! ^___^ 

Just don't be too disappointed if the pairings are not like what you would have expected them to be. 

@Shiroi Taiyou: Yes, the Tamers got their digimon back (well, except for Juri since Leomon's data was absorbed by Beelzemon). That's why Ryo had MonoDramon with him in the real world but that's not very important to the story anyway. 

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I hope you'll do it again. ^__^


	4. Shattered Hope

Shattered hope 

Alice was desperate. How could they do this to her? They had created Dobermon in the first place so why shouldn't they be able to bring him back now? What kind of gods where they if they couldn't even do that? They were not better than any other mega level digimon if they couldn't even do that so what gave them the right to call themselves Sovereigns? What made them more special than others? 

Flashback

They had finally reached the place where, as Ryo had told her, they would meet the Sovereigns of the Digi-world. Alice had to admit it was quiet impressive. There was some kind of island, which was cut off from the surrounding land by a seemingly bottomless pit over which four narrow bridges had been built. One bridge for each direction and Sovereign, Ryo had told her. 

But as they came closer they noticed that the bridges were severely damaged and using them would be no good idea at all. The other thing they noticed was the groups of digimon who were busily working on the reconstruction of the bridges. They approached a smaller group of Gazimon who were carrying some ropes to the construction site. 

"If you are here to see the Sovereigns you'll have to use that gateway over there. As you can see the bridge is not ready yet and shouldn't be used so the Sovereigns installed a gateway in each of the four directions. But I warn you not to disturb them without a good reason. Zhuqiaomon is still not too fond of humans and it would be wise not to anger him," one of the Gazimon explained before it disappeared into a larger group of digimon. 

They shrugged of the strange behavior of the digimon and continued on their way to the gateway the Gazimon had been speaking of. 

The gateway itself turned out to be a small circular platform made of a shimmering dark metal which neither of them had ever seen before. Alice went a little closer to get a better look at the strange machine. 

"I guess we won't get any further if we just stay here gawking at that thing." 

"You're right. Let's try it. What's life without a little risk now and then," he grinned before taking the girls hand and stepping onto the metal platform. 

* * * 

They had just stepped into the dark circle but only one moment later they had already reached their goal. Slowly Alice opened her light blue eyes, which she had pressed shut as she had stepped onto the gateway only to stand face to face with the four Sovereigns. 

They were in the middle of the circular island and the four holy beasts were gathered around them. Azulongmon, the guardian of the east was to their right, Baihumon the guardian of the west and Ebonwumon, the guardian of the north were watching the two humans from their left and from behind, and finally Zhuqiaomon, proud guardian of the south, who was right in front of them. 

The majestic bird digimon was eyeing them carefully not even trying to hide his distrust and hostility. 

"What is it that you need to see the four Sovereigns of the Digital world for? What could be important enough to disturb us and what makes you think that we will listen to you?" the phoenix-like creature demanded with arrogance in his voice. 

Alice took a step towards the guardian of the south seemingly unaware of his resentment. 

"I'm here to ask you for a favor only you can do me. I don't know much about you or the Digi-world but I know that only you have the power to help me." 

Zhuqiaomon watched to girl intently but without showing aggression or interrupting her as she continued. 

"I know that you created Dobermon and sent him to our world to support the Tamers in their battle against D-reaper. I accompanied Dobermon until he dutifully died fulfilling his purpose." 

As the young girl stopped for a moment to take a breath Ryo was sure he had seen a single tear rolling down her pale cheek. But she didn't bother to brush it away. Instead she went on. 

"I'm well aware that I'm not Dobermon's tamer and that I have no right to demand such a thing but I want you to bring Dobermon back to life. Bring him back, please!" 

For a few seconds none of them spoke but then Zhuqiaomon answered with his booming voice. 

"No!" 

It was just a single word but it was enough to shatter all hopes Alice had had. At first she looked as if she was going to cry but then her face became stern and she angrily shook her head. 

"Why do you deny my request? Tell me what I've done wrong and I'll apologize for it but don't ignore me as if I was nothing but an unwanted toy! It wasn't easy to get here but I did it and now you just say 'no'? I won't accept that!" 

Before she could say anything else Azulongmon raised his voice and interrupted her raving. 

"Do not misunderstand our intentions. It is not that we do not care about your request. Not at all. It is a brave thing to come here and to ask us for help and we are well aware of the troubles you must have been going through but that does not change the fact that we cannot grant you this wish. I am sorry but we do not have the ability to bring this Dobermon back." 

Now Alice was truly shattered. It couldn't be true. They had created him why wouldn't they be able to give him life once again. 

"But you are the ones who created him in the first place. Why can't you just do that again?" she asked with her voice trembling. 

"It is one thing to create a digimon but it is an entirely different one to revive a digimon which has been destroyed in your world with all his data scattered by the wind. We are sorry but this is not possible for us to do. Even our powers are limited." the turtle-like guardian of the north, Ebonwumon, tried to explain. "But maybe you can find a way to do what we can not. We have seen humans doing seemingly impossible things before so I would not be surprised if you found a way. 

You have to go now but do not give up hope and come back if you need our assistance again. Maybe then we will be able to help you. Farewell." 

After Ebonwumon had finished a bright light blinded their eyes and the next moment they were standing on one of the gateway around the island again. 

End Flashback 

"So what are we going to do now?" Ryo asked form behind her. 

"I don't know what you are going to do but I'm going home. What a stupid little girl I have been to believe I could bring him back," the blonde girl mumbled back. 

"You are giving up already? Why?" 

"'Cause there is nothing else I could do. I already asked my grandfather about it but neither he nor his friends could come up with any ideas. The Sovereigns were my last hope to see Dobermon again. But I'll get over it, as usual, so don't worry about me", she answered dejectedly. 'Yeah, as if he would really do that' she added mentally. 

"Maybe I know somebody who is able to help you." 

"Obviously there is nobody in our world nor in the Digi-world who could help us but I also have, or at least had, friends somewhere else. I wouldn't give up hope before you asked them for help." 

The new interest and the sparkling hope in the young girls eyes was clearly visible for Ryo so he just went on. 

"There is only one problem. I don't know how to get to them. [ a/n.: I haven't played any of the Wonderswan games and I know too little about Ryo's adventures before 03 so I'll just do the traveling between the worlds my way. So flame me if you want ^_^ ] 

I guess the only possibility is to ask the Sovereigns once more for their support." 

"But before we do that I have to warn you. This is probably even more dangerous than just going to a completely foreign and strange world to ask some Gods for help. I don't even know if the Sovereigns can help us to get there and also to come back again safely. Furthermore I'm not so sure about this friend I have been talking about. He once was probably the kindest person I've ever met but I know that he has changed and I'm not sure if he is going to help us now or if he tries to kill us as soon as we get there. As far as I know the later one is more likely at the moment. 

Well, he isn't the only one there who could eventually help you with your problem but he would be my first choice. It's up to you to decide what we are going to do now. So, what do you think?" 

"Why are you doing all this for me?" Alice asked suspiciously. 

Ryo had to smile involuntarily at her suspicion. 

"I guess I like you and I think you deserve some help. Nobody should have to face life all alone. Furthermore I would like to see those guys again. But of course I can always go home if you don't want me to come along." 

"As if I could decline your offer," she answered with a little smile on her lips. 

"Then it's settled. If you are ready we should go back and see what the Sovereigns can do to help us," that said he grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the gateway. 

* * * 

I know that chapter sucks. I'm sorry if there are some mistakes but I don't know much about Ryo's past and I haven't got the time to do much research. Also I'm not really good at describing landscapes or people/digimon as you may have noticed. I really prefer to write about their thoughts and feelings. But if one of you finds some mistakes review and tell me or write a mail. If I think it's important to the story I'll rewrite the wrong parts. 

So please help me and review! 


	5. Encounters

Encounters 

"I guess we have to admit that he has a talent for running away and hiding himself from us", the young girl sighed. 

Her tall, blonde friend gave her a sympathetic look. He knew that she was worried but she tried so hard to let nobody see too much of her concern. 

"Well, he had a lot of practice in the past. I guess old habits don't die that fast at all." 

The brunette girl grimaced a little at the meaning of his words not trying to hide her discomfort this time. She hated constantly being reminded of who their friend once had been. 

"You know that he has changed. The Digimon Kaiser is gone and he won't be coming back ever again. He promised it." 

"That sounds as if you aren't so sure at all. Why is that? Are you afraid that he may not be able to keep that promise?" 

"Or is it something else that makes you so concerned?" he added after a moment with a mischievous grin on his face. 

The smaller girl blushed a little at his last remark, knowing fully well what he was talking about, and refused to look in his deep blue eyes when she answered. 

"Stop joking around, will you! This is serious but instead of helping me to find him you just make fun of me." She tried to acted annoyed but the small blush was still on her cheeks. "Why did I have to end up in a team with you?" 

"Would you prefer to go with the others? Then you would have to bear with Daisuke's and my brother's fighting over who should walk beside you. I don't have a problem running around here alone so if you wish we can contact the others and arrange a meeting point where you could join them." 

He pulled out his Digi-vice, still grinning, to locate the others. 

"You enjoy making fun of me, don't you?" the girl inquired angrily. 

"Actually yes! I'm constantly oppressed and now you are trying to take the last bit of fun I have left in my life. That's not fair." he returned in a fake whiny voice pocketing the small device again. 

She rolled her eyes at her friends antics. 

"If I didn't know who you really are and what you really think I would probably even believe what you just said" she answered in a more serious tone now. 

"Well, you know that there is always some truth in everything I say. It doesn't matter if you are serious or not, you can't just ignore the world around you. Neither can you ever completely deny who you are. You can pretend to be somebody else but in the end you will still be the same person. It's just an other layer of your personality." 

"I don't like your way of seeing things." 

"I thought as much. Is that because it would mean that the Digimon-Kaiser and Ken are still the same person and that the only thing which has changed is the one who is dominant now?" 

"Please stop bringing those memories back. I don't want to hear it. You know that I'm trying to forget them. The Kaiser is gone for good and he won't come back again. End of the story." 

That said the brunette girl increased her speed and left her blonde friend walking behind her. 

* * * 

At the same time not too far from the to arguing teenagers two other humans and a small purple digimon opened their eyes and began to discover the world around them. 

"Did we make it? It doesn't seem that different to our Digi-world. Are you sure this is the right place?" the young blonde girl asked uncertainly. 

"I don't know if that's the right world. We have to look around a little to be sure but at least I can assure you that it is an other world than our Digi-world." the brown haired boy tried to calm her. 

"What makes you so sure?" 

"Just look at the sky. Isn't it beautiful?" he said while pointing up. 

Alice looked up at the perfectly blue sky overhead thoughtfully. In the world they had just come form, their own Digi-world, you could see streams of data covering the sky like clouds. But in this world the sky was immaculately blue. Perfect and beautiful but at the same time this seemed to be wrong and cold. Maybe it was too perfect to be real. 

"Actually I prefer the night sky. The moon and the stars are truly beautiful whereas the sun is only bright and hot. But anyway you are right. This shade of blue is really amazing. It only looks a little fake, don't you think?" 

Ryo was already searching the surroundings for anything that might look familiar. But unfortunately without much success. 

"True, but we still should stop starring at the sky and get going now. It's already late and we should at least have a place to stay over night if we don't find my friends before nightfall.  

The Digi-world is not the safest place no matter how peaceful it might look at the moment." 

"But there is still plenty of time before the sun goes down, right? We could start looking for those guys now and maybe we find a suitable place for the night while we are doing that." 

"Sounds good enough for me. Come on! Let's get going!" That said Ryo grabbed her hand again and began marching. 

* * * 

The sun had almost vanished behind the horizon and Ryo and Alice still hadn't found anything. Neither had they met any of Ryo's friends nor had the found a place which would provide shelter for the night. Not much had been spoken since they had arrive in this world but that wasn't necessary anyway. Both of them knew what they were looking for and they were already used to longer periods of silence. 

They had just reached the top of a small hill and the setting sun behind them was casting long shadows when Ryo suddenly stopped walking. Alice who had been walking behind him nearly bumped into him but before she could start complaining about his sudden halt she noticed that the young boy had spotted something near the edge of the wood which was stretching out at the left side of the small hill. 

She strained her to see something in the shadows and finally she had managed to see it too. A slender dark figure probably not much taller than herself was walking along the edge of the wood. Obviously the figure had noticed them as well because suddenly he stopped for a moment before it leaped gracefully into the bushes and vanished between the trees. 

"What was that?" Alice asked curiously. 

"I don't know but I think it's about time that we find a refuge for the night." Ryo answered darkly. 

Alice looked back to the wood one more time before she followed Ryo who was already walking down the grassy slopes. 

She had just caught up with the boy when he suddenly stopped again but this time she was too close and too fast to keep herself from crashing into him. The young blonde was clearly annoyed now. 

"Why the hell do you always have to stop so suddenly? You could at least warn me!" 

"Sorry." He apologized half-heartedly. "But I've found something. Over there." 

He pointed towards a small river which was leading into the wood the strange creature had entered only a few minutes ago. Alice couldn't see anything special. Sure the silvery water was shining beautifully in the fading daylight but surely he wouldn't stop for such a reason. 

Her eyes were following the shiny band towards the point where it vanished between the tall trees and then she noticed it too. There was a small fire right at the point were the wood opened up a little to let the river pass through. 

"Who could that be down there?" she asked Ryo. 

"It could be just about everyone or everything. But I guess we don't have much of a choice but to go down. We still don't know where to stay tonight and it's almost dark now." 

The young boy paused for a moment obviously deep in thoughts. Then he continued with a slight smile playing on his lips. 

"Maybe we are lucky and it's somebody I know. We should give it a try." 

* * * 

From the shadows under the tall trees only a few feet from the small fire a pair of crystal clear blue eyes kept watching the two newcomers marching down the slopes. 

"Are we expecting guests, darling?" the one with the blue eyes asked the smaller figure which was hidden in the shadows behind him. 

"Oh will you please stop joking around! This could get serious." An annoyed female voice answered. 

After that neither of them spoken and they just kept watching the two figures silently as they came closer. 

* * * 

I'm actually on the favorites list of 4 members. I didn't expect that. Thanks to everybody! 

Oh, and please: REVIEW!!!


	6. Friend or Foe?

Friend or Foe? 

When Alice and Ryo reached the bottom of the grassy slopes they could make out a little more details. There seemed to be somebody standing in the shade of the tall trees. They could barely see the second person who was carefully hiding in the shadows but the other one didn't seem to mind showing his face. 

It was a tall boy, about their age or maybe a little older. Strands of his long dark blond hair were hanging into his face and partly hiding his eyes. But when he looked up and his face became visible they were almost stunned by his shining blue eyes. The last rays of sun light were reflecting in his azure orbs and the fading light seemed to give his pale skin and golden hair a light glow. He was leaning casually against the trunk of the tall tree with his arms crossed over his chest and a self-confident smirk plastered on his face. 

"Well, who are you and what do you want from us?" the blond-haired boy inquired as the pair stopped a few meters before him. 

"We are new around here and we were just looking for a place to spend the night. We saw your fire from the distance and thought maybe you could help us out," Ryo answered trying to sound diplomatically yet keeping his guard up. 

The blond didn't seem to be satisfied with Ryo's answer. He looked more serious with the smirk now gone and his voice had also lost its playful tone form before. 

"How did you end up here anyway? Only a few people can come to this place and I think I know most of them. So, who are you and how did you do it?" 

Ryo could feel the hostility in the blonde's voice and the cold stare he was receiving warned him not to fool around with the taller boy. There had to be a reason for him to be so confident and he didn't know who else was hiding in the undergrowth behind his adversary. He would have to choose his words wisely if he didn't want to risk getting into a battle already. 

"Who do you think you are?" Alice's angered growl cut through his train of thought like a sharp knife. 

"We have as much of a right to be here as you. I don't see a reason why we should give you our names when your friend back there doesn't even show his face to us. We did nothing to deserve your anger but you treat us like we are not worth breathing the same air as you. You have no right to treat us like that." 

She regarded him coldly for a moment before she finished with a smirk. 

"Or are you afraid that we could see how weak and insecure you really are?" 

Ryo hung his head in defeat. He had wanted to get away without a fight but now the blonde boy was surely mad at them and every hope of getting some help was gone. He gripped his D-arc tightly in his hand and readied himself for the unavoidable fight but again he was interrupted by a totally unexpected sound. He raised his eyes to see the boy with the piercing blue eyes laughing lightly. 

"Not too long ago your little insults would have left me boiling with rage. But you are too late. I've learned to deal with my emotions, I'm sorry. But now, after your little outburst, I have to wonder if you can say the same about yourself," the boy asked while smiling challenging at them. 

At first the girl seemed to falter but she quickly recovered and was about to answer to his obvious challenge but was cut of by the blonde's friend stepping out between the bushes. 

The others watched her silently as she walked out of the shadows of the trees into the shine of the small fire. The flickering light revealed the frame of a slender a young girl with short brown hair which was pulled into a pony tail. She put a hand on the blonde boy's shoulder and gave him a quick glance before she turned her attention to the two others. 

"Please, stop this. There is no need for fighting." 

"We didn't mean to get into a quarrel with you. As I said we are just looking for a place to spend the night. I'm sorry if our words sounded a little harsh." 

At this point Alice tried to interrupt her companion but he didn't give her the chance as he went on. 

"It's just that your friend over there wasn't too hospitable either. We really weren't out to cause trouble." 

"I understand, but you have to forgive Yamato for being a bit rough. He just wanted to make sure you were no threat." 

"Wait a minute! Did you just say his name is Yamato? As in Ishida Yamato?" Ryo asked excitedly. 

"Yeah, that's me." The taller boy replied, eyeing him skeptically. "Should I know you?" 

"Of course, you don't recognize me but that's understandable. It's me, Ryo. The guy who saved your sorry ass. This beautiful young lady would be Hikari, I assume." 

"Ryo?" both of them asked in unison. 

Ryo just nodded giving them a warm smile. After the initial shock and a few seconds of silence Hikari began to shower him with questions. 

Yamato chuckled slightly as he watched Ryo being dragged towards their small campsite by the brunette girl who was babbling excitedly. Then he turned his attention back to the unknown girl who was still watching the spectacle unfold before her silently. She was carefully hiding her emotions behind a blank face but Yamato couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Maybe it was just his imagination but to him she looked utterly lost and alone. 

"So, what's your name?" 

His sudden question took her by surprise and she had troubles finding the right words at first. But as she looked him in the eyes she calmed down immediately. It was strange to her but his eyes which had been so cold and menacing only a few moments ago were now gentle and showed no trace of aggression. They reminded her of the sea, one moment they were wild and stormy and in the next they turned out to be gentle and peaceful. 

It took her a few seconds before she noticed that she had been staring at him. She quickly averted her eyes and tried hard not to blush. When she finally looked back at him he was still standing there with a small smile on his lips patiently waiting for her to answer. Finally she had regained her composure and was able to answer. 

"Alice."

"A beautiful name but rather unusual in Japan. You aren't Japanese, right?" 

"No, but I spent most of my life there." 

She found it hard not to blush at his compliment. There was something special about this boy which made her feel secure. It was as if he was melting through all her defenses with nothing but a smile and a few kind words. It wasn't as if he was the first one who had tried to get to know her but until now she had always managed to successfully hold up her walls of defense. 

"I want to apologize for my earlier rude behavior. I didn't know you and I found your answers rather cheeky. I don't like it when people don't treat me with the necessary respect. It is one of my countless flaws." 

Alice only nodded her acceptance to his apology. Feeling that she wasn't about to speak Yamato continued. 

"You never answered my earlier question, you know." Alice looked up at his face trying hard to hide the rising panic she felt. She had only met him and wasn't sure if she could trust him already. Ryo seemed to be friends with both of them but then again that didn't mean much. As he had said himself before, he had been traveling around a lot and so he constantly ran into people he knew. 

But despite of her distrust she wanted to tell him all about her quest, about how she had met Dobermon and how she had lost him again. She wanted to trust him but felt she couldn't. Yet. So she decided to tell him only as much as he wanted and needed to know. 

"I'm searching for somebody and Ryo offered to help me. I don't know much about the 'how' we got here but I guess Ryo could explain it. Is there something else you need to know?" 

"No, I guess that will be enough for now." 

He smiled at her before he turned his head in the direction of the small fire and saw the other two sprawled out next to it. Hikari was still throwing question after question at Ryo who had barely enough time to finish answering one before she asked the next one. Yamato was relieved to see her forgetting her worries for once even if it was just for a few moments. 

"Do you want to join them?" he asked the pale girl without turning around. 

"No, I guess they have a lot to catch up on and I would only be in the way." 

She didn't let it show but the mere tone of her voice alone was enough to tell him how she felt. 

"Jealous?" 

"No, certainly not! We are friends but that's all. I don't care what he does or says. I only need his help to finish this. After that we'll go our own ways again." 

Yamato couldn't help but laugh at the girl's forceful denial and the small blush on her cheeks. 

"Whatever. Do you mind then if I keep you company? I don't want to bother them either." 

"Do what you want." She answered as she let herself drop into the soft grass. 

Yamato sat down a few steps away from the young girl who was lying on her back gazing up at the slowly darkening night sky. 

She was special of that he was sure. He had felt it immediately when he had first seen her. He didn't know what it was but something drew him to her. 

Was it something about her looks? She was unique. He always felt sympathy for those who where different, maybe because he was one of them. But right now he couldn't put the finger on what it was that made her so special to him. 

Seeing that he wouldn't find an answer to his question right away he decided to take a different approach to the problem. Maybe it would help if he got to know her better first. 

* * * 

This is turning out to be the longest story I have ever written and I'm not even close to the end yet! I guess there will be at least three more chapters but I can't promise anything at the moment. I have a vague idea of how this is going to end but, honestly, the plot just develops while I'm writing. 

I have no idea when I'll be able to update this but I'll give it my best. It may take some time since I'll have a lot of tests during the next two months but I'll bring this to an end eventually. 

Now, please go and REVIEW! I need reviews to see what you guys think about this piece of sh... *cough* "literature". 


	7. Soul Mates

Soul mates 

The sun wasn't up yet when Alice woke up the next morning. The sky in the east was already lightening up a little but she could still see the faint light of the stars in the navy blue night sky overhead. She had soon noticed that this digital world was more like the real world. For example the sun didn't come up suddenly and the whole world wasn't divided into different layers like their Digi-World was. She hadn't seen much of this new world but she was slowly beginning to enjoy there visit here. 

She kept looking at the stars a little longer before she finally got up. It took her a moment to take in her surroundings. Obviously she had fallen asleep under the tree where she had been sitting with the blond guy, Yamato. As her brain slowly began to work normal again she also remembered more of what had happened the other day. 

After Ryo had run off with that girl she had felt so left alone like she hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe she was getting too attached to Ryo. It had been a long time since she had had a real friend and it was probably only reasonable for her to act that way but she still didn't like the thought of being dependent and vulnerable again. 

She knew that she must have been looking rather lost back then. She had expected the blond boy to pity her in some way or another. But to her surprise, and relief, he had done nothing like that. He had talked to her as if nothing had happened and she was thankful for that. The idea had come to her mind that he maybe just hadn't noticed how she had felt but she had also dismissed that thought soon again. He was too attentive and too intelligent as to miss something like that. 

They had sat down together under a tall tree, the one he had been leaning against earlier, and after some time of comfortable silence he had eventually started a conversation. 

She closed her eyes as she tried to remembered everything more clearly. It had been the most pleasant talk she had had in a very long time. 

Flashback

She had been looking up at the constantly darkening sky for quite a while. The stars had also become more visible and were now glowing brightly against the dark sky. The night was bright and the sky was clear save for the outlines of a few drifting clouds. 

Alice closed her eyes and was already falling asleep when Yamato's gentle voice shook her awake again. 

"So, what are you going to do tomorrow? You said you are searching somebody but do you have any idea where to find this person? I know Ryo has been here before but he has been gone for so long and a lot of things may have change during that time." 

Alice chose this short moment as he stopped to catch his breath to interrupt him. 

"You are babbling. If you want to say something say it please." 

"Oh! I'm sorry." 

If she could have seen him in the darkness she would have noticed the faint blush spreading on the pale boys cheeks. 

"Well, we are looking for one of our friends as well and I thought maybe you want to join us. I'm sure Hikari wouldn't mind." 

"Of that I'm sure," the blond girl whispered more to herself while watching the two figures talking near the campfire. 

"Did you say something?" the boy inquired, noticing the slight change in her mood. 

"No, nothing at all," she answered gloomily. But quickly snapping out of it again she tried to change the topic. 

"I guess I'll have to ask Ryo about that. He's the one who decides where we are going. 

But why would you want us to come along anyway?" 

"Good question. First of all we are in Ryo's debt. He saved us and the whole Digi-World a few years ago but we never got the chance to do anything for him in return since he disappeared after that." 

"But that's not all. There is something else, right?" 

"No, that's not all. I would also like to use this chance to get to know you better," the boy stated in a serious voice. 

This startled her greatly. Every thought about just falling asleep again had been immediately wiped away. Her eyes were wide open but she didn't dare to look at Yamato. Different thoughts were racing through her head and her heartbeat had quickened a little while she just kept staring straight into the dark wood. 

"What? You must be joking, right?" 

"Not at all. Why should I? I don't know much about you yet but you seem to be a pretty interesting person and you are really cute. I want to find out who you really are," he explained still serious but a little more playful now. 

She was glad that he couldn't see much of her face in the darkness. She was sure she must have resembled a ripe tomato at that moment. Her cheeks were burning as if they were on fire. But she didn't understand why she reacted this way. After all this was not the first time that somebody had tried to befriend her. What was it that made him so different from all those people who had tried to gain her trust before? Normally she would just brush such simple compliments aside. But his words had an undeniable effect on her. 

She shook her head a little from side to side, trying to regain her composure. He couldn't be serious about that! Nobody had called her cute since she was a little girl! He was probably just playing with her. Someone like him could get everything he wanted. Why would he want to get to know her? There was no way that he could be serious. 

"Stop mocking me!" she tried to get up and away from him but he quickly grabbed her hand and stopped her from getting any further. 

"Wait! I'm not mocking you! Why don't you believe me? If you don't want to talk to me I'll respect that but I have been honest with you. I really want to get to know you better because I think you are a rather amazing person. I have been an outsider myself since I was a little kid and I know how hard it can be at times. I'm not saying that I know what you feel and think but I know that it can be a nice thing sometimes to have people to whom you can talk to. Just give me a chance, please." 

He slowly let go of her hand but he kept watching her face expectantly. Alice just stood there for a while thinking about what she had just heard. The moon was now shining down on them and bathing them in it's cold light. If somebody had been watching them he could have easily mistaken their slender frames for elves, with their pale skin and blond hair glowing softly in the moonlight. 

While Yamato was patiently waiting for her to answer, Alice was fighting a hard battle with herself in her mind. The only person she had trusted at all those past years had been her grandfather and even him she only trusted to a certain extent. But she somehow knew that Yamato wouldn't betray her trust in him. She couldn't put the finger on what it was that made her sure about that but she had felt comfortable in his company very soon and that was highly unusual. Normally she would avoid other people's company as good as possible but now she didn't mind having him around. 

First she was becoming friends with Ryo and now him. What was happening to her? She had trusted on her own strength for so long and now she suddenly began relying on others. Maybe she should stop this whole thing as long as she still could. It would probably be the easiest way. But this was also a challenge to her. Maybe she could become friends with him and still stay strong and independent. It seemed to work for Ryo after all. He had friends everywhere but he was just as strong without them. 

Feeling the emptiness inside of her and the longing for somebody who would understand she made her decision. What was there to lose after all? It couldn't get worse anymore. 

"Okay, but if I feel that you are abusing my trust you will regret it." 

She slowly turned around and sat down again with her back press against the tree. Yamato who had all the while been waiting patiently smiled satisfied and also leaned back against the tree again. 

"Don't worry, I won't disappoint you." 

After that he said nothing else and Alice was a little surprised by that. She had expected him to shower her with questions but he did nothing at all. After a few more minutes of silence she was sure he had fallen asleep but right when she wasn't expecting to hear anything from the blond boy anymore he spoke up again. 

"The moon is really beautiful tonight. You rarely see such a bright night in the real world, don't you think?" 

"Yes, it's beautiful. Most people think about a sunny summer day when they speak about nice weather. But they totally forget how amazing a cold winter night or a rainy day in autumn can be. That's truly ignorant." 

"True, but would it change anything if more people were conscious of that?" 

"Probably not, but it could mean that some people are starting to use their brains. As long as they just swim with the stream without giving their actions a second thought nothing will ever change." 

"Who says that things would get better if they started using their brains? It could very well make things even worse." 

"I know but I want to believe that things could change. There is not much I believe in anymore." 

End Flashback 

They had kept talking for quite a while until she had finally fallen asleep. It had felt good to have somebody who would not only listen but also think about what he had just been told. Most people will listen to your problems but only a few of them will really think about what they learned. 

Alice stretched a little and finally got up. The sky was already quite bright and it was only a question of minutes until the sun would come up. Ryo and the brunette girl where still fast asleep near the burned-down campfire and Yamato was nowhere to be seen. 

Today they would decide what they were going to do next. Maybe it wasn't that bad that they had met after all. 

* * * 

Hm, I haven't been getting much reviews lately. I hope this changes again. ^__^ 

Well, this story is slowly coming to an end. There are a few more chapters to come but most likely not more than four. This is already the longest story I have ever written. I just hope it's not too boring. 

Now be kind and review, please! I would appreciate your opinions on it. 

Thank you everybody who reviewed so far!


	8. A New Light

A New Light 

No matter where he went it was always the same. The streets were absolutely empty. There was no traffic and no people were anywhere to be seen. Shops and restaurants were deserted and even the animals seemed to have vanished. 

He had been wandering around in the unfamiliar streets for a while now but he hadn't met a single human soul so far. He couldn't remember how he had ended up in this place. Neither did he know why he was here, wherever this place was. 

He finally sat down in the middle of an intersection. He wasn't suicidal but it probably didn't matter anyway where he sat down, he was already sure that he was alone in this strange and foreign city. In fact he felt as if he had known it all along. He drew his knees close to his chest and covered his blue eyes with his hands trying in a desperate attempt to force his brain to function normally again. He knew who he was and he could remember countless insignificant details of his life, like his first day in school or the taste of his cooking but he had troubles remembering the last few hours, what he had been doing and how he had ended up in a place like this. Whenever he tried a logical approach to his situation his brain seemed to fail him. Every time he came closer to those memories he was searching for everything would become blurry as if he was separated from them by an impenetrable veil. 

He looked around again but nothing had changed. Not even the dark grey clouds in the sky were moving. It seemed as if time itself had stopped. 

Was it his fault that had ended up here? Maybe he had done something wrong or hurt somebody and this was the punishment for his mistakes. It was possible. He was well aware that he wasn't the nicest person around after all. He probably had more flaws than anyone else he knew. 

But there were so many other possibilities as well. Perhaps this was just the place he belonged to. Had he finally found a place where he could stay? Had his search for a home come to an end? As he thought about that he could see how he fitted into this place. What was there that made him different to this dead world? Nothing. There was nothing that fuelled his heart to keep going. There was no curiosity to learn more things about life, there was no passion in his daily life. He had no goals and no destination, nothing that was really worth living for. As a Digidestined he had been useful. But those times were long gone. His crest of friendship was gone. His friends were gone. Without being bound together by the chains of destiny every one of them had gone his own way in life. They had found a new goal to work and fight for, all of them but him. 

He had been left behind like an old doll. He had lost his purpose and he was too weak to find himself a new one all by himself. Yes, this was definitely the world he belonged to. 

Yamato was too lost in his own thoughts and self-pity as to notice that the shadows of the grey lifeless buildings and trees around him were slowly but constantly getting longer. They were slowly inching closer as if they were reaching out to him. Like long dark hands they were trying to grab him. But he was too preoccupied with his own misery to notice how the shadows were finally reaching him and began to slowly crawl up his legs. 

He felt a cool chill slowly running over his body. As if he was slowly being drawn into a pool of icy water. But the unpleasant sensation didn't last long. He had barely noticed how his limbs became numb soon and the how the stinging cold was slowly replaced with apathy. He was slowly losing control over his own body but he didn't care. 

Why should he care anyway? Was his life, were his friends worth fighting for? Maybe he should stop calling them his friends. After all they were more like colleagues or allies. They had fought together but that didn't make them friends already. No, the Digidestined were not his friends. 

As he tried to curl up even more a weak shimmering light flared up in his mind. It's shine wasn't warm or soothing but pure, gentle and overwhelming. Hikari. 

He opened his eyes a little, without actually paying attention to his surroundings. His lids felt heavy and his normally bright blue orbs seemed clouded as if he was already far away. He didn't notice it but the dark shadows which were slowly covering his frail figure had come to a halt. 

It was true he considered her his friend. But did that change anything? Maybe during the past years and still for the moment but as soon as she would be able to tell Ken what she really felt for him he would be useless again. Ken was going to return her feelings, there was no doubt about that, and there would be no need for his emotional support anymore. 

But he didn't blame her. She was a lonely, scared and insecure girl who was hiding her true self as good as possible. She was so much like him and he was glad that he had been able to walk a part of her way with her. But the time of their farewell would be near soon. She was taking a road that he couldn't walk with her. She had found a new companion on her path through life and he was glad for her. It was time for him to go. He closed his eyes again as the light slowly died away and the shadowy hands began to reach out again. 

*

The strange city was getting darker now but the lonely boy who was sitting curled up in a tight ball in the middle of an intersection in the city's centre didn't notice anything of that. His eyes were shut tightly and he was almost completely covered by the strange shadows. It looked as if a thin black oily film was covering his body but he didn't seem to mind. 

He was almost ready to accept his destiny as a part of this dark and isolated place. He was getting ready to leave is former life behind. Nobody would miss him, not long anyway. Soon a replacement for the empty place he was going to leave behind would be found. It didn't matter anymore if he was there or not. 

He did however notice the faint noise which seemed, slowly at first, to come closer. He didn't open his eyes just yet. Instead he tried to concentrate on the sound and tried to make out what it was. He didn't have to strain his ears too long since the sound was constantly getting closer and clearer and soon he was sure what it was. It was the soft sound of waves splashing against the shores. 

The sound was rhythmic and soothing, almost hypnotic and it seemed as if he could hear the water calling his name. He felt the unspoken promise of easing every pain and of peace and it was a tempting offer. He almost wanted to give in and open his eyes as another memory flashed through his mind. 

At first there was only darkness but suddenly he saw a small bright spot. It was a light not unlike the one he had seen before when he had thought about Hikari. Yet it was completely different. It wasn't as bright and pure and it seemed colder but he could also feel a power hidden within this light. It intrigued him and somehow it reminded him of someone. Alice. 

He didn't know why but suddenly the picture of the blonde girl he barely knew was in his mind and it wouldn't go away. Sure, she was a pretty girl but that wasn't the reason why he had been interested in her since the first minute he had known her. He couldn't really explain the feeling but he had a suspicion and it made him feel a little bit afraid. Had he been wrong? Could it be more than mere curiosity which pulled him towards her? It couldn't be, could it? Was he falling for this girl? 

He had never really been in love before and so he couldn't tell if it was love that he felt for Alice. Suddenly countless different emotions and feelings were flooding his head and he was slowly stirring form his apathy. 

It didn't matter if it was love or not. It was a reason to go back and that was enough at the moment. He had found something which was worth to live for in his world even if it was just for a little while longer. 

He slowly opened his eyes and instead of being clouded like they had been before they were a shade of blue as clear as the summer sky again. The black oily shadows which had covered him up to the shoulders were quickly retreating. He closed his eyes again and suddenly he felt as if he was floating. His whole body felt weightless as if he was deep underwater. But before he could give it a second thought he felt his body being pulled up towards what he supposed was the surface. He didn't struggle instead he just relaxed and let it happen. He somehow knew without opening his eyes that he had almost reached the surface when his body slowly began to feel numb again and he finally passed out. 

* * 

When he came to again he found himself lying in the cool grass under a tall tree. Sleepily he rubbed his eyes and finally sat up. A little to his right he found Alice sleeping peacefully in the soft grass. While he watched her for a few more moments the memories of the previous day slowly returned while at the same time his memories of the nightmare began to fade already. It wasn't the first time he had had this dream. 

Every now and then since they had been to the Digi world for the first time this dreams would come to haunt him. It wasn't a pleasant thing to go through but he didn't fear them either. He knew as long as he had a reason to stay in either of the two worlds the darkness wouldn't be able to lure him into giving up his life. 

The last traces of the nightmare were blown away by the cool morning breeze and would dissolve in the first rays of the soon rising sun. Yamato slowly got up and started walking towards the near river which was glittering in the dim morning light. He glanced back one more time at the sleeping blonde girl and smiled. Her face looked so serene while she was asleep and secretly he wished to be able to see her like that more often. They would probably wake up soon but until then he would have some time alone to think about a few things which were currently going through his mind. 

* * * 

A. N.: I'm really sorry, if you were waiting for updates on this or any of my other stories. I had a lot of free time lately but I was just too lazy to write anything at all. I'll try to update sooner the next time but as always I can't promise anything. 

Well, this chapter was kind of hard to write since I had no possibility to practice my English in ages and I was lacking ideas. But I guess by now it should be obvious in which direction the pairings are going. You can flame me if you don't like these couples but that won't change anything. So go ahead and flame me. That's still better than not reviewing at all! 

Thank you for your patience! 


	9. Confusion

Confusion 

They were on their way again. Where to, Alice didn't know but it didn't matter anyway. It would have changed nothing even if they had explained it again. She was new to this world and she knew nothing about it. Every tree and every rock they passed by looked like the other so there was no way she could tell where they were heading. She had to trust them this time. 

But trusting someone to such an extent was a new thing to her. Well, it wasn't exactly new all together but it had been so long since she had done such a thing for the last time that it felt like she had never done it before. 

The whole situation was so alien to her that she had to wonder why it did come so easy to her at the same time. She had barely known those people but she had willingly agreed to join them. Why were they special? She had known Ryo for quite some time now and he had slowly gained her trust by doing all those little things, like supporting her all the time, for her. He was one of the few people who she considered the next closest thing to friends. She was sure that he wouldn't betray her trust. But what about the other two? 

She had barely spoken to the girl, Hikari, and she was still unsure of what to think of her but Ryo seemed to know her rather well. She had seen them talking about the past and what they had gone through in the meantime ever since they had met the other day. Alice didn't know which common past the two of them shared but even she had to admit that she was a nice girl as far as she could tell. There was something about her that made her special. It was not that special sensation she had felt whenever she had met one of the Tamers. It was entirely new to her and Alice couldn't put the finger on it but she felt comfortable in her company nevertheless. As if she could tell her everything without having to worry about the consequences. 

If she had only been in company with those two she would have been able to let go of her constant worries and to just let herself drift to wherever destiny would take her but unfortunately there was also Yamato. She didn't actually mind his company, not at all! It was just that now his presence made her slightly uncomfortable. She had often been annoyed by certain people before but this time it was different. He didn't really annoy her and that's what disturbed her the most. If it had been just that she could have understood those feelings she got whenever he was close to her. 

It was really strange. Last night she had felt totally at ease spending time with him and talking. But now it seemed as if last night had been nothing but a dream. Had all those things really happened? She wasn't so sure anymore. Yamato hadn't lost a word about last night and tired as she had been she could very well just have imagined everything. 

But what worried her even more was her own behavior. Last night she had blushed more than she ever had during all those last few years all together. Even now she was afraid of looking at him since there was no longer the darkness of the night to hide her face. That and the strange feelings she got in her stomach every time she glanced at him were troubling her greatly. 

Of course she wasn't stupid and knew very well what these 'symptoms' obviously meant but she was also known to be a rather stubborn person and especially in that case she wouldn't accept such feelings and what came with them that easily. No, this couldn't be really happening. Maybe it was just some kind of flu or another kind of disease. But who was she kidding? That didn't sound convincing at all, not even to her, no matter how much she wanted to believe it. 

Maybe she should just talk to him about it outright. After all she had nothing to loose. The chance of making a fool of herself was rather big but what did that matter? They were only traveling together for a few days at best and after that she wouldn't see him or Hikari ever again. Even if it wasn't going to end like that it still wouldn't matter. She had never given much about what other people thought about her. Her life was her own problem and nobody else had the right to interfere with that. 

Alice, who had not paid much attention to her surroundings for the better part of the day, noted that Ryo and Hikari were somewhat ahead of them and probably already out of earshot. She could see them chatting casually, while they followed the narrow path through the undergrowth, but she couldn't make out what they were actually talking about. The distance and the constant whispering of the wind brushing through the leaves made it hard to hear anything specific. Maybe this was the best chance she would get for a while to talk to him in private. 

She turned her head slightly to regard Yamato who had been walking silently beside her ever since they had left their campsite this morning. If he knew she was watching him he didn't let it show. He just kept trailing beside her with his hands buried deep in his pockets and an indifferent expression on his face. He had been like that all morning and it began to worry her. Was it really a good idea to confront him now? 

All of a sudden the possibility of talking to him didn't look as tempting as it had done only a few seconds ago. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that it didn't matter to her what his reaction would be like she was still afraid. Such a thing didn't happen too often but, yes, she felt an unsettling wave of fear washing over her. Unconsciously she hugged herself a little as she closed her eyes for a moment. 

Why was she really afraid? At first she found no answer to that question but after pondering the thought a little longer she got a vague idea. The answer surprised her, yet she had seen it coming at the same time. But was it even possible to be afraid of losing something that hadn't even been yours? 

Alice had suddenly stopped walking as she kept musing over that question. Her vacant eyes were fixed on some spot right in front of her black leather boots as she stood there completely lost in thoughts. 

Yamato had noticed her abrupt stop immediately and turned towards her. He hadn't been worried before about her being quiet and withdrawn most of the time since he knew to appreciate this kind of solitude as well but her sudden halt had alarmed him. He hadn't known her for very long but it was quite obvious that something was wrong with her. Her hands were clenched into fists and she was biting her lip while staring blankly into the forest ground with narrowed eyes. She looked so fragile and lost like he had never seen her before but he wasn't quite sure if he should try to talk to her or if he should just wait for her to recover. What would he want him to do if he was in her situation? 

Carefully he tried to reach for her shoulder and to shake her a little but before he could touch her she took a sudden step back. She stared at him with wide, confused eyes but remained silent. He slowly withdrew his hand and waited for her to react in some way. 

After a few moments spent in silence she suddenly pushed him out of her way and ran in the direction Ryo and Hikari were walking. Yamato however, after finding his balance again, didn't follow her. Instead he just kept watching her as she had fallen into a walking pace again a short distance behind the other two with her head down. 

He really wanted to help her but without knowing what was plaguing her he saw no way to do that. The way she had reacted towards his attempt of comforting her didn't help him either to understand what was going on. When she had jumped away from his hand as if it were a poisonous snake it had almost seemed as if she was afraid of him. 

Had he done something wrong? He couldn't recall any situation between them which could have caused such a reaction. No, he was quite certain that he was not the cause, or at least not the direct one, for her reaction. Maybe it had something to do with her past. He knew very well how a lot of people had serious troubles dealing with their past. 

But that also reminded him again why they had even come back to the Digi-World in the first place. Apparently some people never get over what they had to go through in their past. Maybe Alice was one of them as well. 

But it didn't really matter that much what her problem was. He had already decided to help her getting over it. No matter if she wanted him to or not. Somehow he would find a way to be there for her. She had found a way into his heart and he was determined not to let her go down alone. He would be at her side if she only wanted him to be. 

With a small but confident smile on his face Yamato started following the small group again. 

* * * 

A.N.: Finally another chapter. I really wanted to update sooner but it seemed as if I had somehow written myself into a dead-end without thinking about a way out again before. But now it's done. It's short. It's simple. But at least I wrote something! ^___^ 

Again I want to thank all my reviewers! Without you guys it would probably take even longer for me to update. ^_^; Thank you! 

I still don't know where I'll be going from here and I probably won't have much time to write but I'll eventually update again. Just wait and see! Until then: Review! 


	10. Coming Closer

Coming closer 

For days which had seemed like eternity to Alice they had been following the narrow path through the woods. Nothing but trees wherever you looked and only a small clearing with grass and flowers every now and then. During the days the tall trees with their enormous branches and broad leaves had been quite a convenient protection against the burning rays of the bright digital sun, a fact which the girl with the pale skin appreciated. She wasn't sure if the artificial sun of this realm could cause the same nasty sunburns she normally got whenever she spent too much time outside but she wasn't very keen on finding out either. 

But no matter how much she welcomed the cool shadows during the daytime at night the seemingly ancient, dark trees always left her with a slight feeling of fear and being watched. Although she didn't like to admit it to herself she was quite grateful to have the others with her. With their Digimon they would surely be able to fend off most of the creatures which were possible lurking in the darkness of the forest just waiting for their chance to take them by surprise. She had never been the easily frightened one but something about this endless sea of trees gave her the creeps. Why would anybody take refugee in such a dark and lonely place especially if he was said to be such a kind and gentle person? 

During their march trough the forest Alice had found out a little more about that boy Ryo had mentioned earlier when she had overheard Ryo and Hikari talking about him. Obviously his name was Ken and she was pretty sure that he was an rather old friend of her companion while Hikari seemed to have at least some deeper feelings for him. It had been so plain obvious the way they had been talking about him. It seemed as if the girl was trying to hide her feelings but she was doing a horrible job at that. 

Other than that she hadn't been able to find out very much about him. It seemed that he and Ryo had been working together in defeating some freaky evil Digimon. After that something must have happened to him when Ryo had disappeared and he had begun to cause a lot of trouble in the Digiworld before he had come to his senses again. Oddly enough Ryo didn't seem very surprised about any of the events which had been happening after his departure. It almost seemed as if he had already known a lot of what Hikari had told him. 

Alice however didn't give it too much thought since it didn't really concern her. It had nothing to do with her goal in this world after all. All this things were past and nobody could change anything about them anymore. 

But still she had enjoyed being able to just listen to them without having to take part in the conversation herself. It was the easiest and her favorite way of getting to know more about the people around her without having to bring herself into the spotlight. 

However getting to know and finding out more about her other travel companion, Yamato, had turned out to be a bit more challenging task. He had been walking with her most of the time but he hadn't been talking much. From time to time he had been telling her little things about himself, his friends or the Digiworld but he had always been careful not to let out too much about himself. That way she hadn't been able to find out much about him which frustrated her a little. But at the same time she had to admit that she liked his calm behavior. He was nothing like the people she normally met. Like Ryo, but even more so, he was a quiet but polite person. He would talk to you if he felt like it but otherwise keep to himself. 

Oddly enough Alice found herself interested in him like she had never been in anyone else before. Those feelings began to bother her a little but she tried to calm herself by always reminding herself that she was only here to get back Dobermon. As soon as they would have found Ken she would hopefully be able to bring back her friend and then there would be no reason to stay in this world any longer. 

Maybe there wasn't that much in her own world she was eager to return to but with Dobermon at her side it wouldn't be that bad. Without him she had nobody but her grandfather who had always been caring towards her but who was at the same time almost always busy with some kind of research project and had hardly ever time for her. She didn't blame him for that. After all she was sometimes very much like that as well. 

If something was really important to them they would forget everything else around them just to reach their goal and family was no exception at that. Maybe this was the strongest trait of the McCoys. Alice was sure her grandfather would understand since he would probably go to the same extents if he was in her position. But it really didn't matter that much. Soon she would be back at home with her friend and everything would be as it was supposed to be with no digital gods or guys from other dimensions disturbing her boring life. 

However at the moment she had to pay more attention on other things. Yamato had put a hand on her shoulder and brought her to a sudden halt. Alice was immediately getting ready to give him a piece of her mind for disturbing her like that but before she could get out a single word she was already stopped but the boy's gesture to be silent. Grudgingly she complied and silently followed his lead towards where the other two and their Digimon were cowering behind what looked like a blackberry bush. It seemed as if they were watching something on the opening before them. Alice had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed that the woods had been constantly growing lighter. Obviously they were coming closer towards the edge of the forest. 

After they had finally taken position next to their friends they tried to get a look at what was so interesting that they had to sneak around in a lonely and spooky forest. Yamato helped her to part the branches full of thorns a little so that they could look through without being seen immediately. 

A small smiled formed on her lips as Alice noticed the lonely boy sitting with his back against a huge dark boulder which looked slightly out of place. He had drawn his knees towards his chest and his forehead was resting on them. She couldn't make out his face which was hidden behind his knees and his long dark hair but he was wearing a light grey school uniform. Although she had never met him before she was quite sure that this had to be Ken. Would there be anybody else hiding in that creepy woods? No, it just had to be him. 

Without a warning she suddenly got up and began marching over the clearing towards the boy. She had taken the others completely by surprise and none of them knew what to do for a few seconds. Yamato was the first to get over the initial shock so he got up as well and swiftly followed her with the other two and the Digimon close behind. 

Meanwhile the blonde girl had reached the equally surprised boy and was now standing right in front of him. Not wasting another second she asked him straight out: "Are you Ken?" 

Ken who was slightly dumbfounded by the strange girl's rude behavior didn't respond immediately. Instead he glanced at the quickly approaching figures behind her and his expression of surprise quickly turned into one of discomfort. He had known that they would find him eventually but he had hoped that it would take them a little longer. But his surprised expression returned immediately when he noticed Ryo walking behind Hikari. He had expected them to find him and the unfamiliar looking girl who was with them had been quite a surprise but meeting his long lost friend again was something he had never even dreamed of. A wave of conflicting emotions was washing over him. 

The joy of seeing his old friend alive and well was soon replaced with an overwhelming feeling of guilt for everything he had ever done to his friends, his family and this world but that was pushed aside as well by the happiness he felt when looking at Hikari's smiling face. But would she forgive him? He would find out soon enough. 

Meanwhile the others had reached the two and after a moment Yamato was the one to break the silence. 

"Ken this is Alice, a friend of Ryo's. Alice this is Ken." 

Ken just kept staring at the small group so Hikari decided to continue. 

"Ken, Alice and Ryo have come to ask you for help. As far as I can tell you are the only one besides Gennai who could possibly help them. Nobody knows more about Digimon than you. Please listen to what they have to say." 

Ken was quite relieved that Hikari had chosen to discuss that topic first. He would have to talk to her about a lot of other things sooner or later but right now he preferred to delay that moment as long as possible. 

"Hello to all of you too," he replied with a bit more irritation in his voice than necessary. But he couldn't help it. He felt rather uncomfortable and letting them feel his anger laced with false arrogance was his natural reaction in such situations. Hikari as the one who would probably be hurt the most by his cold behavior and he knew that but he had no idea how else he should react. After another moment of cold staring he went on. 

"So what is it that you want from me? You have probably come a long way just to meet me, haven't you? Otherwise Ryo would have visited his old _friend_ sooner, right?" He heavily emphasized the word friend just to make sure to hurt Ryo as well. Of course Ryo would have come back sooner if he had been able to, of that Ken was sure, but in his insecurity he was lashing out at all of them. 

Alice who had been just watching and listening for a while was slightly astonished by the unceremonious reunion. It was nothing at all like she had expected it to be and Ken was a surprise as well. After all she had heard about him she was not expecting something like that. He was so cold and unfriendly that she was afraid that she might have found her match this time even if all of this was just a mask. But it was worth a try anyway. 

* * * 

A.N.: I'm really sorry for the long wait! But I honestly had no idea how to go on. It seemed as if I had written myself into a dead-end but now I have a vague idea of how to end this story. 

By the way: it may take some time again until I will be able to update again. I don't want to rush the ending and I will have to study a bit harder for a while so I won't have much time for writing. But I promise that I won't keep you waiting for so long this time! ;) 


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